New York Power Authority (NYPA) Energy Services Program

Project Profile: New York Power Authority (NYPA) Energy Services Program

Firm name: Parsons Brinckerhoff

Project building name and location: New York Power Authority (NYPA) Energy Services Program, NYPA Statewide and NYPA Southeast New York State

Type of building and type of project: Energy Reduction Program for State and Local Government Buildings

Project completion date and project duration: Ongoing

Engineering challenges and solutions:

The goal of this program is to reduce the energy usage of buildings owned by different New York State and local (cities, municipalities, school districts, etc.) government entities. These energy savings result in significant financial savings for the end user.
Project implementation is performed in several steps (Each step requires client approval before proceeding to the next step)
- Walkthrough report
  - This is an initial visit to the building to identify possible energy conservation measures (ECMs) and write a short report for NYPA and the client to give a very brief estimate of construction cost and energy savings.
- Feasibility study
  - This expands upon the walkthrough report. The ECMs are finalized (some may be added or removed) and the scope is agreed upon by all parties. More in depth estimates regarding construction cost and energy savings are produced. This stage also usually involves a detailed analysis of the building’s current energy use and a study of how the building currently operates.
- Design
  - Parsons Brinckerhoff takes the ECMs from the feasibility study and produces design drawings and specifications along with updated cost estimates for construction bids.
- Customer Installation Commitment (CIC)
  - When the design is approved by all parties involved, Parsons Brinckerhoff bids the job out to multiple contractors. Bids are received and analyzed for completeness and best value. · Before construction, the estimates (construction cost and energy savings) from the design are updated with changes resulting from the bidding phase.
- Construction
  - When the CIC is signed by the customer, the project moves to construction. Parsons Brinckerhoff manages the construction performed by the winning contractor(s).
- Close Out
  - Following the construction, final economics are generated in a report to NYPA and the customer; the job is then complete.
This program is exclusively for retrofits to existing commercial and industrial buildings
- Hospitals
- Office buildings
- Court houses
- Schools
- Universities
- Power plants
- Maintenance Shops
Specific clients
- Office of General Services
- New York Police Department
- Department of Citywide Administrative Services
- New York City Department of Education
- State University of New York
- New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation
- Various school districts
  - Webutuck Central School District
  - Oceanside School District
  - City School District of Albany
  - Fonda Fultonville Central School District
  - Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES)
Specific projects
- One Police Plaza (OPP)
  - Estimated construction cost: $11.5 million
  - Estimated savings: $866,000
  - Project began in May 2010 and is currently ongoing
  - Scope of work
    - Energy efficient lighting: replace light fixtures throughout the building with more efficient ones
    - Lighting controls: install occupancy sensors where needed to shut down lights when rooms are unoccupied
    - HVAC controls
      - Scheduled operation for Air Handling Units (AHUs)
        
        Turning off air conditioning units in spaces when they are not in use will yield energy savings
      - Air side economizer
        
        When the air outside is cool enough, more outside air can be brought in to cool interior spaces rather than running the air conditioning system
      - Sub-meters for monitoring each AHU
        
        By metering each AHU individually, areas that demand more energy can be addressed by the building managers
    - Installing premium efficiency motors on fans
    - Rebuilding AHUs
      - Coil replacement
        
        When the existing coils on a unit are in a poor state, they do not transfer heat efficiently. Installing new coils will demand less energy from the central plant
      - Damper replacement
        
        Old dampers may leak excess outside air that needs to be conditioned. New dampers with controls can vary the amount of outside air as needed.
    - Chiller plant optimization
    - Data center cooling upgrade
    - Snow melt system upgrade
- Metropolitan Hospital (MHC)
  - Estimated construction cost: $26.8 million
  - Estimated savings: $1.6 million
  - Project began in May 2010 and is currently ongoing
  - Scope of work
    - Energy efficient lighting: replace light fixtures throughout the building with more efficient ones
    - Lighting Controls: install sensors in all non-critical work areas
    - Boiler Replacement
      - Complete replacement of boiler system from 1950’s to a modern, more efficient system
      - Steam Piping Insulation:
        
        Insulate all new and existing pipes to ensure minimal energy loss
      - Enterprise Level BMS and Chiller Plant Optimization:
        
        Enable integrated monitoring and control of related systems
        
        High Performance Valves:
        
        Replace existing poor performing values with new high performing valves
      - Premium Efficiency Motors:
        
        Replace select poor performing existing motors with premium efficiency motors
      - Heat Pipe Energy Recovery:
        
        Install dehumidification heat pipes to save energy
      - Emergency Room Air Handler Unit:
        
        Replace existing multi-zone AHU with new multi-zone AHU, using chilled water for cooling and LP steam for heating
      - Primary Energy Meters:
        
        Install advanced metering of all primary energy sources to each building to allow remote monitoring of city owned buildings in real time
- Empire State Plaza (ESP)
  - Estimated construction cost: $9.5 million
  - Estimated savings: $1.4 million
  - Scope of work
    - Micro Steam Turbine Installation
    - Electric Interconnect
    - River Front Pump Station Upgrades:
      - Installation of synchronous variable frequency drives to provide adjustable supply of condenser water based on a control signal from the upgraded chiller plant management system
    - Hydro Turbine Installation:
      - Produces power at varying flow conditions
    - Chiller enhancement
    - Side stream compressor and control panels
    - Free cooling system enhancement:
      - Modify piping between the heat exchangers and system loop
    - Chiller plant control system upgrade:
      - Increase a level of automation and optimize the chiller operation under various conditions

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